Northern Adelaide Cubing 2024

Sixty-three competitors converged on Golden Grove High School on November 24, 2024, creating an exceptionally crowded pathway to the finals at Northern Adelaide Cubing 2024. Staged in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, the single-day tournament tested solvers through 10 rounds across five distinct puzzles. With 61 contenders fighting through three demanding rounds in the premier Rubik's Cube category, every progression demanded sharp precision. The sheer depth of talent meant that even seasoned participants had to battle relentlessly from the opening turn to secure spots in the deciding sessions.

Across every stage of the cubing competition, Sora Sato proved to be the standard bearer amid the heavy traffic. Sato claimed the marquee 3x3x3 Cube victory with a stellar winning average of 6.84 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single solve of 6.22 seconds. Seth Ferry secured the second step on the podium with a 7.91 average, while Tess Karon posted a 9.63 average for third place. The official 3x3 results underlined the elevated standard required to reach the final six in Adelaide, where mere tenths separated contenders across the preliminary stages.

Sato extended that commanding form into the complex events, sealing a triple-crown performance during the 2024 meet. In the 4x4x4 Cube, where 39 hopefuls began the chase, Sato navigated two rigorous rounds to take first place with a 30.21 average and a 28.72 single. Ferry finished runner-up on 32.59, ahead of Jonah Blakeley in third with 40.44. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Sato edged out Ferry once again, recording a 13.23 average to Ferry's 13.38, while Karon earned another podium finish with a 15.12 mark in the 36-player field.

The speed cubing action shifted down in size but ratcheted up in pace during the 2x2x2 Cube event, drawing 55 entrants across two brisk rounds. Miles Fetherston captured the title with a lightning 2.40 average and a single of 2.16. Sato followed closely in second place with a 2.69 average, while Oliver Hutchinson took third at 2.87. Meanwhile, the single-round Square-1 contest went to Hong Kong's Jeffers Chan, who logged a 9.99 average and a 7.61 single among 23 competitors, holding off Sato's 11.52 and Noah Przychodzen's 12.61.

Beyond the trophy battles at Northern Adelaide Cubing 2024, the lower tiers of the brackets featured remarkable personal milestones. Gunveer Singh Sandhu took on four events, achieving an 18th-place finish in Square-1 with a personal best of 34.60 seconds that was 56.6 percent faster than their prior mark, alongside an 18.6 percent drop to 15.36 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Evan Barclay tackled five events, delivering a first-ever Square-1 effort of 1:07.81, a debut 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:54.45, and a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 4.62 that improved upon their previous record by 44.7 percent.

Other dedicated solvers capitalized on the high-level environment at this WCA competition to register breakthrough numbers. Adam Carter Schmidt slashed their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 40.3 percent down to 3.01 seconds. Vaasu Dholakia logged their first official 2x2x2 Cube mark at 8.96 seconds while carving 39.2 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube time to hit 30.38. Koa Brougham entered four events, posting debut solves in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:14.33 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:17.08, while chopping 38.7 percent from their 3x3x3 Cube time down to 22.73 seconds.

The technical progress continued across the roster throughout the afternoon. Harry Thompson made a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:22.16 and shaved 38.4 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube mark to reach 2.20 seconds. Gus Friend took on a demanding five-event schedule, setting a 4x4x4 Cube best of 1:02.52 which was 30 percent faster than before, while also trimming 28.5 percent in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 40.53. In their first WCA competition, Ethan Clode took on three events and reached eighth place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 39.51 single, complemented by a 2.80 in 2x2x2 Cube and an 8.38 in 3x3x3 Cube.

With Australian competitors securing 14 of the 15 available podium places, the event demonstrated the exceptional health and density of speedcubing across the region. Across five events and ten hard-fought rounds, Northern Adelaide Cubing 2024 rewarded both elite consistency and relentless personal improvement, setting a rigorous benchmark for every solver heading toward the next competition season.